Box-labeling machine.



J. DOVE-SMITH. BOX LABELING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 1. 1915.

Patented Nov. 2, 1915.

B SHEETS-SHEET 1.

6 Lu Hymn Inveniar; JZI Z v/L 20112- 57111951,

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH co., WASHINGTON, 13.12.

Patented Nov. 2, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

OLUMB|A PLANOGIAPH c0., WASHINGTON. D. c,

J. DOVE-SMITH.

BOX LABELING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED MAR. I, IBIS.

1,158,651. Patnted Nov. 2, 1915.

8 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

COLUMBIA FLANOQRAPH CO.,WASHINOTON, D. c.

J. DOVE-SMITH.

BOX LABELING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 1. I915.

Patented Nov. 2, 1915.

8 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

I fiszpfi. Joya-S ift COLUMBIA PLANOURAPH CO.,WASHINGTON. D. c.

.l. DOVE-SMITH.

BOX LABELING MACHINE.

. APPLICATION FILE? MAR-1. I915. NOV. 2

8 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

L'CILUMBILPLANOGRAPM (0.. WASHINGTON, D. C

.l. DOVE-SMITH. BOX LABELING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR-1.1915. 1,158,651 Patented Nov. 2, 1915.

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COLUMN 0., WASHINUTON. C.

J. DOVE-SMITH.

BOX LABELING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. l, 1915.

1,1 58,65 1 Patented Nov. 2, 1915.

3 SHEETSSHEET 7.

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72 17314. zazrrz- $712511 COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH C0,,WASHINGTON. D. c.

J. DOVE-SMITH.

BOX LABELING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 1. 1915.

1 ,1 58,65 1 Patented Nov. 2, 1915.

8 SHEETSSHEET 8.

oooooo COLUMBIA PLANOURAPH CO.,WASHINGTON. D. c.

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JOSEPH DOVE-SMITH, OF NIAGARA FALLS, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO JACOB F. SMITH PAPER BOX COMPANY, INCORPORATED, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

BOX-LABELING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 2, 1915.

Substitute for application Serial No. 724,833, filed October 9, 1912. This application filed March 1, 1915.

. Serial No. 11,434.

To all whom it'may concern Be it known that I, JOSEPH DOVE-SMITH, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Niagara Falls, in the county of Niagara, State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Box-Labeling Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to box labeling machines, and more particularly to machines for donning andautomatically applyinglabels to boxes, such as ordinary paper or pulp boxes.

This application is a substitute for my former application Serial No. 724,838, filed October 9, 1912.

The object of my invention is to incorporate in the machines in common use certain improvements which will be specifically described, and to dome the boxes in connection with the labeling process.

It is old and common practice to feed boxes or other similar objects, such as cartons or bottles, into a machine which holds the article, gums or glues a surface, supplies a label to the gummed surface, presses the label down, and removes the article thus labeled from the machine. This is done by a step-by-step movement over a circle or in a straight line. 1 My machine employs several of these old and general means and adds thereto certain specificimprovements. While I shall describe my improved mechanism for pressing down and securelyaflixing a label to a box in combination with the other improvements herein described and claimed, said mechanism is more specifically described and claimed in my application-filed Nov. 5, 1913, Serial No. 799,299.

' Referring to thedrawings herewith which form a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a top plan view. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal, central, vertical section. Fig. 3 is a transverse central, vertical section. Fig. 4 is a detail of the wellknown Geneva wheel employed to produce the step-by-step movement. Fig. 5 is a plan of the actuating gearing and cams. Figs. 6, 7,8, and 9 are, respectively, a side elevation, longitudinal section, end View and plan of my box holding device. Figs. 10 and 11 are, respectively, detail longitudinal and transverse sections of my domer. Fig. 12 is a detail of the ments particularly.

then point out improvements in detail.

A rotor 1 is mounted to revolve step-bystep upon a fixed table 2, and is driven by a Geneva wheel 3 secured to the under side of the rotor, and a cam-crank 4 on a shaft 5 driven by bevel gears 6 and 7 from a shaft 8, which takes its power through bevel gears 9 and 10, shaft 11, gears 12 and 13, shaft 14 and belt pulley 15.

Boxes, or box covers or box bottoms, are stacked in the magazine 22 by an operative. A reciprocating plate 23, the face of which is somewhat smaller than the side or end of the box against which it bears, pushes the lowermost box out of the magazine 22 onto a box holder on the rotor hereafter described. This plate 23 is reciprocated by an arm 24:

actuated by a crank 25 connected to a rod 26 which is actuated by a cam 27 on the shaft 11.

It will be understood that the shafts 11 and 8, the shaft 16 through thebevel gears 9 and 21, and the shaft 17 through bevel gears 18 and 19 are in constant rotation.

Assuming a box to have been put in place upon one of the box holders, the Geneva wheel now moves the rotor one step and brings the box in position for the domer to act. This consists in general (the details hereafter described) of a fixed plate 28, concaved on its under side to conform to the curvature or doming desired, means for heating the plate, and a plunger 29, convexed to the desired curvature and carried by the rotor, between which and said plate 28 the box is pressed. The plunger 29 is actuated by a follower 30 which is reciprocatedby a cam 31 on the shaft 16; The

step-by-step mechanism now moves the box 16 acts on the plunger 29 and raises the box to a position where a glue-pad 38 may apply glue to its surface as hereafter described in detail. The rotor now moves the box coated with glue or paste under the label magazine 35. This magazine is the familiar device containing a stack of labels held peripherally so that the bottom label may be drawn out by suction. The plunger 29 raises the box into contact with the bottom label in the magazine and the adhesion of the glue carries the label down on the top of the box. The plunger 29 is here actuated by a follower 36 actuated by the cam 31 through the bell-crank lever 37 (Fig. 5). The rotor now moves the box to the pressing or affixing mechanism, which consists generally of a pressure-pad 38 against which the plunger 29 presses the ated by the follower 39 which is actuated by the cam 40 on the shaft 8. In order to insure perfect contact and smoothness, the

box is now passed under a. second pressurepad, identical with the pad 38, and in this" position the plunger 29' is actuated by a follower 41 'reciprocated by the cam 42 on the shaft 8 through a bell-crank lever 43.

The rotor now moves the box into position to be e ected.

This is accomplished by a pneumatic device, hereafter described, which is actuated by the lever 44 and cam 45 on the shaft 8.

Having described a cycle" of operations generally, I will now describe my improvements.

Referring especially to Figs. 6 to 8, I will first describe the box-holding mechanism. The'rotor has the upwardly-extending cylindrical portions 45, each of which carries within it a plunger 29. To each of these cylindrical portions is clamped a box-holder of the following construction. Each clamp 46 has upwardly-turned end-plates 47. Reciprocatingly secured by pins 48 in slots in these end-plates are plates 49. These plates .49 have internal flanges 50, upon which rest out-turned flanges 51 on plates 52' which are rigidly secured to the plunger-s 29. Hinged to the plates 49 are plates 58. These" plates 53 have cylindrically-formed beads 54, formed upon their'upper edges, which bear against the outsides (ends or sides as the case maybe) of the boxes 55 when in place. The ends of these beads are chamfered adjacent to the feeding device, as shown at 56 in Fig 9, to permit the shoving in ofthe box by the feeder. Light springs 60 (Figs. 6 and 7 hold the plates 53 up; against the box. The convexed heads ofthe plungers 29 are of a size to move freely in or out of the boxes without contacting the inner side walls. Projecting inwardly'on the plates 49 and adjacentto the hinges are shoulders '61 which lie above and label and box. The plunger'29is here actuin the path of the flanges 51 on the plates Threaded into 'the bottoms of the 52. plates 49 are pins 62 having heads 63, whichheads slide within tubular sleeves '64 which are rigidly secured to the clamps 46. l-Vithin the sleeves 64' and bearing against the heads 68 and the clamps 46 are compression springs 65. i

The operation is as follows:' The plunger 23 shoves the lowermost box from the magazine 22 in between the chamfered'en'ds56 of the beads 54, and the said beads, held up by the springs (30, thusclamp and hold the box throughout the several operations. The.

rotor now carries the'box thus in place under the domer. The follower 30 raises the plunger 29 into the interior of the box, and the flanges 51 contactwith the shoulders 61 on theplates 49, thus lifting the plates49,

hinged plates 53and the boxes '55 up and into contact with the underside of the domer 2S, and the continued action of the cam operating the follower 30 applies sufficient pressure to perform the necessary doming. When the cam permits the follower 30 to retract, the plunger 29 and the parts carried.

tial position; and to insure this return, the said springs 65 acting on the pins 62 force the plates 49' back onto their seats, where they are thereafter firmly held by the flanges 51 onthe plates 52 resting upon the flanges outer end, and at its inner end upon a table (36 which is rigidly mounted upon thetable 2. as clearlv shown in Figs. 2 and 3. Upon" by it as above described return to their iniis rigidly supportedupon theltable 2 at its heating the plate28 and the projection 67.;

It is evident that, when ai-box is forced up against this concave, heated su-rface by-theplunger 29 which has a' correspondingly, curved surface, and considerable pressure is applied, the box will be domed orbulged on its top'to give it a moreattractive appearance. A

The :gluing or. glueeapplying, process is effected as 'follows pThe glue-pad 83 is mounted to reciprocate in a frame. 70 by means of an arm 71, actuated mediately by the cam 72 on the shaft17. The glue-pad is carried resiliently in. a carriage 73 by 7 I nieanscf studs 74 andsprings 75. In "ItS retracted position it moves over and in contact with a glue-applying roller 76 which is in .contact with a second roller 77 which takes glue from a glue reservoir 78. I These rollers may be positively driven inthe usual manner. When the lever arm- 71' moves the carriage 73 1nto the glueapplying position over thebox 55, an adjustable stud 79 carried in a yoke 80 which is carried by reciproeating rods Slanoives down into contact with thestud on the glue-pad 33 and forces the glue-pad .down onto the surface of the box 55, The rods 81 are reciprocate'd by a cross-bar 82 which engages with a cam-183 on the shaft 16. In order to prevent the imend will not be in alinement with the opening in the yoke 80, but willcome in contact with the under side ofsaidyoke and prevent the stud 7 9 from pressing'down the stud '82 to bring the glue-pad in contact witha plunger when no box is present. I I j Referring now to the pressing mechanism separately described and claimed in my said application Serial N o. 7 99,299 shown in Figs. 3, 13 and 14, mounted over the line of I travel of the plungers isa plate 88. which is rigidly supported upon the table 2 and the central plate 66. Secured to a projection upon the under side .of this plate is a rubber or other resilient pad 38, which is of a size to completely cover the label, which has a rectangular slot 89, clearly shown in Figs. 13 and 14, and within the boundaries of this slot the bearing surface of the pad is a trifle above the bearing surface external thereto. This forms a sort of-air chamber within the portion of the pad internal to the slot and also causes the pad, when thoroughly pressed down, to conform more closely to the convex surface of the label and box, Leading into this rectangular slot are air openings 90. These air openings connect with a central valve 91 the head of which is in an air supply chamber92. A supply of compressed air is carried to this chamber, as by a coupling 93 shown in Fig. 13. The bottom of the stem of the valve 91, when the valve is in the closed position, lies below the pressing surface of the pad 38, so that when the plunger raises a box into contact with said pad, it will press the stem of said valve upwardly, open the valve, and permit air to pass down through the openings 90 into the rectangular slot 89, be spread out operation.

over thecentral portion of the label, and be pipe 94 provided with a T 95, which source of air supply also actuates the ejector which I will not describe.

Mounted upon the central plate66 is an air-valve 96 which is supplied with air through a pipe 97 connecting with the T 95, and a pipe 98 leads from this valve to an air blast chamber 99, from whichsmall pipes 100 lead and are positioned so as to discharge blasts of air against the adjacent side of a box. The stem of the valve 96 is acted upon by the lever 44, which is actuated by thecam 45, as above described. When this valve isopened the blasts of air will force the box horizontally out from between the contacting cylindrical edges 54 of the plates 53 into the tray or chute 101,'from which the completely domed and, labeled boxes may be carried to any desired-position without further manual handling, since they lie in uniform positions to be carried by an endless belt or a chute to the next point of It will be noted that in Fig. 1 a plate or cover marked Blank lies between the ejector and the feed. No operation is performed at this point with the construction described; but the plunger and box carrier are preferably covered at this point as a protection to the operator sitting adjacent to it to place boxes in the feed magazine.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. The combination with a rotor and means for moving the same step by step, a plurality of projections thereon for carrying plungers, plungers in said projections, box-holding devices reciprocatingly secured to said projections, lifting means secured to said plungers for engaging with said boxholding devices, followers for acting upon said plungers, mechanism for actuating said plungers, and superposed devices for engaging with said plungers to act upon a box.

2. In combination with a rotor and means for moving the same step by step, a feeding mechanism for feeding in boxes, a plurality of projections on said rotor, plungers in said projections, box-holding devices secured to said projections comprising hinged plates for engaging the external sides of boxes, springs for holding said plates up into action, vertically sliding plates for raising said hinged plates engaging the 'boxesaand means forlifting said slidingplates simultaneously'with the entry of the plunger into the box.

3. In combination with a rotor and reciprocating plungers of the character describer, projections on said rotor, plates forholding boxes on their opposite ends or sides carried by said projections, means for.

lifting the box-holding plates into position coincidently with the action of the plunger, andmeans for positively returning said boxholding plates after each operation.

4. In combination with a rotor and a feeding device for feeding boxes intoa box-holding device, box-holding devices carried by said rotor comprising yo'kes secured to projections on said rotor, plates carried by said yokes and plates hinged to said first-mentioned plates having engaging edges for engaging the sides ofa box and said sides being beveled to permit the entrance of a box, and springs for holding said engaging plates against a box, said plates being arranged to engage a box externally upon its sides or ends.

r ,5. In combination with a rotor, box carriers, plungers and means for actuating said plunger's, a doming device comprising a plate rigidly mounted over the plunger path having a concave surface on its under side of the desired dome curvature, a device for hearing said plate, plunger's having corresponding convex surfaces, whereby the box is pressed between said plate and said plunger to give it the domed or curved surface desired,

'6 In combination with a rotor having a 7 step by'st-ep movement, box-holding devices co ies of this patent mayibe obtained for for holding boxes rigidly against independent horizontal movement butp'ermitting vertical movement of the boxes, plungerscar ried by said rotor and fitting within the boxes, followers for raising said plungers and means for actuating said followers and rigid overhanging plates t'o-contact with the boxes when the same are forced by said plungers.

7. In combination with as box-carrying member having a step by step movement,

box-holding devices mounted thereon arranged to reciprocate vertically but holding the boxes against independent movement, re-

upwardly V ciprocating plungers carried by said box- 9 carrying member having heads conformed to the interior of theboxes to move freely therein, followers actuating said plungers,

' and rigid overhanging plates to contact with the upper and outer surfaces of the boxes when the same are raised by said plunger's. 8. In combination with a rotor and plungers carried in projections on said rotor and means for actuating said plungers, fixed overhanging members positioned to coact with said plungers to act upon a box, anda box-carrying device in connection with each plunger and carried 'by-said rotor, said boX- carrying device engagingthe box exteriorly and being reciprocatingly' secured to said 7 five' cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of laten'ts, Washington, I); C. i V l JOSEPH .DOVE-SMITH a .7 7 

